Sarah Ellen Allgood (30 October 1880 – 13 September 1950), known as Sara Allgood, was an Irish-American actress. She first studied drama with the Irish nationalist Daughters of Ireland and was at the opening of the

Irish National Theatre Society The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...

. In 1904, she had her first big role in '' Spreading the News'' and was a full-time actress the following year. In 1915, she toured Australia and New Zealand as the lead in ''Peg o' My Heart''. Her acting career continued in Dublin,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, and the U.S. She appeared in a number of films, most notably being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Beth Morgan in the 1941 film ''

How Green Was My Valley ''How Green Was My Valley'' is a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, narrated by Huw Morgan, the main character, about his Welsh family and the mining community in which they live. The author had claimed that he based the book on his own persona ...

''. She became an American citizen in 1945 and died of a heart attack in 1950.

Early life

Allgood was born on 30 October 1880 at 45 Middle

Abbey Street Abbey Street () is located on Dublin's Northside, running from the Customs House and Store Street in the east to Capel Street in the west. The street is served by two Luas light rail stops, one at the Jervis shopping centre and the other near ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, then still part of the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Grea ...

at the time, a daughter of Margaret ( Harold) and compositor George Allgood. Her mother was Catholic, while her father was Protestant. She had two baptisms, a Catholic baptism on 3 November 1880 and a Church of Ireland (Protestant Anglican) baptism on 21 November 1880.Catholic baptismal record confirming date of birth as 30 October 1880
irishgenealogy.ie. Accessed 22 April 2022. She had seven siblings, one of whom was fellow actress Maire O'Neill, although the two were later reportedly estranged. A brother, Tom, became a Roman Catholic priest, who took the religious name of "Father Vincent". After her father's death when she was a young girl, her mother returned to work as a furniture trader. Allgood began work as soon as she was able, apprenticed to a French polisher near her mother's workplace who sold high quality antique and modern furniture from their warerooms at 19 and 20 Bachelor's Walk, Dublin, and who also operated as cabinet-makers, upholsterers, valuers, house agents, and auctioneers.

Career

Allgood joined the Irish nationalist Daughters of Ireland, where she first began to study drama under the direction of

Maud Gonne Maud Gonne MacBride ( ga, Maud Nic Ghoinn Bean Mhic Giolla Bhríghde; 21 December 1866 – 27 April 1953) was an English-born Irish republican revolutionary, suffragette and actress. Of Anglo-Irish descent, she was won over to Irish nationalism ...

and

William Fay William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

. She began her acting career at the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the p ...

and was in the opening of the

. Her first big role was in December 1904 at the opening of

Lady Gregory Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (''née'' Persse; 15 March 1852 – 22 May 1932) was an Irish dramatist, folklorist and theatre manager. With William Butler Yeats and Edward Martyn, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, ...

's '' Spreading the News''. By 1905 she was a full-time actress, touring England and North America. In 1915, Allgood was cast as the lead in J. Hartley Manners' comedy ''

Peg o' My Heart "Peg o' My Heart" is a popular song written by Alfred Bryan (words) and Fred Fisher (music). It was published on March 15, 1913 and it featured in the 1913 musical ''Ziegfeld Follies''. The song was first performed publicly by Irving Kaufman ...

'' which toured Australia and New Zealand in 1916. She played the lead role opposite her ''Peg o' My Heart'' co-star and then-husband Gerald Henson in J. A. Lipman's 1918 silent film '' Just Peggy'', shot in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

. After his death and her return to Ireland, she continued to perform at the Abbey Theatre. Her most memorable performance was in

Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey ( ga, Seán Ó Cathasaigh ; born John Casey; 30 March 1880 – 18 September 1964) was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes. ...

's ''

Juno and the Paycock ''Juno and the Paycock'' is a play by Seán O'Casey. Highly regarded and often performed in Ireland, it was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924. It is set in the working-class tenements of Dublin in the early 1920s, during the ...

'' in 1923. She won acclaim in London when she played Bessie Burgess in O'Casey's ''

The Plough and the Stars ''The Plough and the Stars'' is a four-act play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title references the Sta ...

'' in 1926. Allgood was frequently featured in early

Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

films, such as ''

Blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

'' (1929), ''

'' (1930), and ''

Sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...

'' (1936). She had a significant role in ''

Storm in a Teacup Tempest in a teapot (American English), or storm in a teacup (British English), is an idiom meaning a small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion. There are also lesser known or earlier variants, such as ''tempest in a teacup'', ''stor ...

'' (1937). After many successful theatre tours of America, she pursued a film career. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role as Beth Morgan in the 1941 film ''

''. She had memorable roles in the 1941 retelling of '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', ''It Happened in Flatbush'' (1942), ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...

'' (1943), '' The Lodger'' (1944), ''

The Keys of the Kingdom ''The Keys of the Kingdom'' is a 1941 novel by A. J. Cronin. Spanning six decades, it tells the story of Father Francis Chisholm, an unconventional Scottish Catholic priest who struggles to establish a mission in China. Beset by tragedy in h ...

'' (1944), '' The Spiral Staircase'' (1946), '' The Fabulous Dorseys'' (1947), and the original ''

Cheaper by the Dozen ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. The novel recounts the authors' childhood lives growing up in a household of 12 children. The bestsel ...

'' (1950).

Personal life

In September 1916, Allgood married her ''Peg o' My Heart'' co-star Gerald Henson while they were touring in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

. In January 1918, they had a daughter named Mary who died one day later. In November of that year, the

Spanish flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

claimed Henson's life. Allgood settled in Hollywood in 1940 and became an American citizen in 1945.

Death

On 13 September 1950, at the age of 69, Allgood died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

at her home in

Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

. She was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City.

Partial filmography

* '' Just Peggy'' (1918) - Peggy * ''

'' (1929) - Mrs. White * ''

To What Red Hell ''To What Red Hell'' is a 1929 British crime film directed by Edwin Greenwood and starring Sybil Thorndike, Bramwell Fletcher and Janice Adair. Made at Twickenham Studios, it was one of the earliest all-talking sound films to be produced in Br ...

'' (1929) * ''

'' (1930) - Mrs. Boyle ('Juno') * '' The World, the Flesh, the Devil'' (1932) - Emme Stanger * ''

The Fortunate Fool ''The Fortunate Fool'' is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Norman Walker and starring Hugh Wakefield, Joan Wyndham and Jack Raine. It was made at Ealing Studios as a quota quickie.Chibnall p.272 The film's sets were designed by the art ...

'' (1933) - Rose * '' Lily of Killarney'' (1934) - Mrs O'Connor * '' Irish Hearts'' (1934) - Mrs. Gogarthy * '' Lazybones'' (1935) - Bridget * ''

Peg of Old Drury ''Peg of Old Drury'' is a 1935 British historical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Cedric Hardwicke and Margaretta Scott. The film is a biopic of eighteenth-century Irish actress Peg Woffington. It was based on the play ' ...

'' (1935) - Irish Woman on Boat (uncredited) * '' The Passing of the Third Floor Back'' (1935) - Mrs. de Hooley * '' Crime Unlimited'' (1935) - Jewel Thief (uncredited) * '' Riders to the Sea'' (1936, Short) - Maurya * '' Pot Luck'' (1936) - Mrs. Kelly * '' It's Love Again'' (1936) - Mrs. Hopkins * ''

Southern Roses ''Southern Roses'' is a 1936 British musical comedy film directed by Frederic Zelnik and starring George Robey, Gina Malo and Chili Bouchier. It was shot at Denham Studios.Wood p.92 The film's sets were designed by the art director Frederick ...

'' (1936) - Miss Florence * ''

'' (1936) * '' Kathleen Mavourneen'' (1937) - Mary Ellen O'Dwyer * ''

Storm In A Teacup Tempest in a teapot (American English), or storm in a teacup (British English), is an idiom meaning a small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion. There are also lesser known or earlier variants, such as ''tempest in a teacup'', ''stor ...

'' (1937) - Honoria Hegarty * '' The Sky's the Limit'' (1938) - Mrs. O'Reilly * ''

The Londonderry Air The "Londonderry Air" is an Irish air that originated in County Londonderry. It is popular among the North American Irish diaspora and is well known throughout the world. The tune is played as the victory sporting anthem of Northern Ireland at ...

'' (1938) - Widow Rafferty * ''

On the Night of the Fire ''On the Night of the Fire'', released in the United States as ''The Fugitive'', is a 1939 British thriller film, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Ralph Richardson and Diana Wynyard. The film is based on the novel of the same nam ...

'' (1939) - Charwoman * '' That Hamilton Woman'' (1941) - Mrs. Cadogan-Lyon * '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1941) - Mrs. Higgins * ''

Lydia Lydia ( Lydian: ‎𐤮𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣𐤠, ''Śfarda''; Aramaic: ''Lydia''; el, Λυδία, ''Lȳdíā''; tr, Lidya) was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern western Turkish pro ...

'' (1941) - Mary * ''

'' (1941) - Mrs. Morgan * '' Roxie Hart'' (1942) - Mrs. Morton * '' This Above All'' (1942) - Waitress * '' It Happened in Flatbush'' (1942) - Mrs. 'Mac' McAvoy * ''

The Light of Heart ''The Light of Heart'' is a 1940 play by the British writer Emlyn Williams. It ran for 127 performances at the Apollo Theatre in London's West End between 21 February and 8 June 1940. The cast included Godfrey Tearle, Megs Jenkins, Gladys Henso ...

'' (1942) * '' The War Against Mrs. Hadley'' (1942) - Mrs. Michael Fitzpatrick * '' Life Begins at Eight-Thirty'' (1942) - Alma Lothian, Robert's Aunt * '' City Without Men'' (1943) - Mrs. Maria Barton * '' Forever and a Day'' (1943) - Cook (1917) (scenes deleted) * ''

'' (1943) - Bessie * '' The Lodger'' (1944) - Ellen Bonting * '' Between Two Worlds'' (1944) - Mrs. Midget * ''

'' (1944) - Sister Martha * '' The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry'' (1945) - Nona * '' Kitty'' (1945) - Old Meg * '' The Spiral Staircase'' (1946) - Nurse Barker * '' Cluny Brown'' (1946) - Mrs. Maile * '' The Fabulous Dorseys'' (1947) - Mrs. Dorsey * ''

Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

'' (1947) - Martha Huntley * ''

Mother Wore Tights ''Mother Wore Tights'' is a 1947 Technicolor musical film starring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey as married vaudeville performers, directed by Walter Lang. This was Grable and Dailey's first film together, based on a book of the same name by Mir ...

'' (1947) - Grandmother McKinley * ''

Mourning Becomes Electra ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...

'' (1947) - Adam Brant's Landlady * '' My Wild Irish Rose'' (1947) - Mrs. Brennan * '' Man from Texas'' (1948) - Aunt Belle * ''

One Touch of Venus ''One Touch of Venus'' is a 1943 musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the 1885 novella ''The Tinted Venus'' by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygmal ...

'' (1948) - Landlady * '' The Girl from Manhattan'' (1948) - Mrs. Beeler * '' The Accused'' (1949) - Mrs. Conner * ''

Challenge to Lassie ''Challenge to Lassie'' is an American drama directed by Richard Thorpe in Technicolor and released October 31, 1949, by MGM Studios. It was the fifth feature film starring the original Lassie, a collie named Pal, and the fourth and final ''La ...

'' (1949) - Mrs. MacFarland * ''

'' (1950) - Mrs. Monahan * '' Sierra'' (1950) - Mrs. Jonas (final film role)

References

External links

* *
NY Public Library, Billy Rose collection
accessed October 26, 2015.
Portrait gallery (University of Washington, Sayre Collection)
accessed October 26, 2015. * (with incorrect year of birth) {{DEFAULTSORT:Allgood, Sara 1880 births 1950 deaths American film actresses American stage actresses Irish emigrants to the United States Irish film actresses Irish stage actresses Actresses from Dublin (city) Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City 20th-century Irish actresses 20th-century American actresses